Question

You are a RN working in ED, looking after Edith, an 87-year-old with an admitting diagnosis of Acopia. All acute interventions have been completed for Edith, but the wards are full, so she will spend the next 8 hours (+) on an ED trolley in a corridor.

1. How do normal changes of ageing increase the risk of Edith developing a pressure injury in this scenario?

Answer 1

Pressure injury or pressure ulcers are the necrosis of the skin and surrounding tissues that tend to develop when soft tissue is compressed between a bony prominence and a hard surface for a prolonged period of time. Due to increased age and Acopia the patient may have,immobility ,decreased tissue perfusion ,decreased nutritional status ,decreased sensory perception will contributes for the development of pressure injury.Pressure ulcers are typically accompanied by severe complications including pain and depression.The older patient exhibits declined physiological response ,and often develops chronic diseases sometimes resulting in disability,and other geriatric syndromes. Geriatric syndromes involves clinical and functional conditions that occurs in older person affecting acivities of daily living like eating,dressing,walking,and quality of life is affected by lonliness,pain,and other psycological stress.